Health Ministry Begins Nationwide Fumigation of Government Hospitals
The Ministry of Health has launched a nationwide fumigation and disease-control exercise at government hospitals, with about 124 trained officers and supervisors assigned to facilities.
The Ministry of Health, through its Directorate of Environmental Health, has started a nationwide pest and disease-control exercise covering government hospitals.
About 124 trained fumigation officers and supervisors are expected to be assigned to facilities across the country as part of the initiative. The exercise combines vector and pest control with hospital cleaning and strengthened infection prevention and control measures.
Safety measures at hospitals
The Ministry said the officers and supervisors will coordinate with hospital leadership to ensure that areas identified for treatment are accessible. They will also support the implementation of appropriate safety measures before, during and after fumigation.
The exercise is being carried out as part of the wider 300 Days of Activism campaign. Ministry information links the campaign’s focus to sepsis, which it identifies as one of the leading causes of maternal and child deaths.
The Ministry said the fumigation, cleaning and infection-control activities are intended to address risks associated with sepsis and improve conditions in healthcare facilities.
Focus on patient protection
Dr. Mustapha Kabba, the Chief Medical Officer, urged the newly trained vector and pest-control workers to carry out their duties professionally, put patient safety first and work in the interests of patients.
“Fumigation is far more than a routine practice,” Dr. Kabba said. “Together with proper healthcare waste management and environmental sanitation, it is one of the everyday protocols that keep hospitals free from infections that put mothers, newborns and health workers at risk.”
The Ministry described clean, disease-free hospitals as a necessary condition for achieving zero preventable maternal and child deaths. It also linked fumigation cycles, properly managed waste bins and disinfected wards to broader efforts to improve hospital safety.
No facility-by-facility deployment schedule or completion date has been provided.
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